Page images
PDF
EPUB

ing to free their vessel. Despite their exertions, Paul could see that the water was growing higher at an alarming rate, as the brig had now settled sufficiently low to bring some of the shot-holes even with the sea.

1

The fact that their ship was doomed soon dawned upon the crew. The captain's voice was heard ordering: "Lower the boats. The cruiser isn't able to chase us, and we can get away!"

On board the man-of-war they had detected the condition of the pirate, as their cries of satisfaction testified.

Paul heard the boats splash into the water, and the mad rush to leave the ship; then all was still, except the gurgling and boiling of the water that now lapped close to his feet.

After waiting a moment longer the young hero pushed back the hatch slide and looked out, but except for several dead and dying men, who had lately fought under the black flag, the ship appeared to be deserted. Jumping out on deck, Paul ran to the railing and saw, a short distance away, three boats filled with the pirates, who had hoisted lug-sails, and were speedily widening the distance between them and the cruiser, which had drifted about a quarter of a mile to leeward.

Mounting the poop-ladder, Paul got hold of the signal halyards and hauled down the hateful piece of bunting. While he was thus engaged, the crew of the Bonito made their appearance from beneath the poop, where they had hidden when the pirates rushed for the boats. Joyful, indeed, were the greetings exchanged between the three seamen and the boy, and after the latter had told them how he had scuttled the brig to save the man-of-war and secure their own release, their admiration for the daring lad knew no bounds.

As soon as the pirates deserted their ship, the cruiser lowered a boat, which was pulled for the brig. It now ran alongside, and none too soon, for the vessel was in the last throes, staggering and lurching like a drunken person. Before the boat had gained a hundred yards on its return, the pirate-ship swayed once or twice from side to side, then slowly and gracefully sank, her masts remaining upright until the wind-vane at the masthead reached the level of the water and fluttered its good-bye.

Paul became a hero on the cruiser, which made temporary repairs and sailed into the port of Boston several days later. The notorious pirate captain and his evil crew escaped to continue for a

number of years their unholy calling, but at last the red-handed chief was captured and hanged in chains on the rocks where Execution Lighthouse stands at the entrance to Long Island Sound.

"You will recall," said Uncle Jack, "that on our trip from New York to Boston, I told you that some day I would tell you a story about Execution Light. I have kept my promise, you see."

TO THE PUPIL:

1. Superiority means quality or state of being superior, excellence, preëminence, advantage; antagonist, one who contends with another, especially in combat, an adversary, an opponent; exultation, elevation of spirits over victory, triumph; fiends, intensely wicked or malicious persons, evil spirits, demons; relentless, unmoved by appeals for sympathy or forgiveness, indifferent to the pain of others, unyielding; rake, to fire at a vessel from one end in the direction of its length; sinister, evil, dishonest, corrupt, unlucky; inspiration, act of inspiring or breathing in, a happy thought; throes, extreme pains, anguish, agony.

2. There are four sentences in the following. Rewrite it, punctuating and capitalizing properly:

the school is my place of business at school i am working for myself and for nobody else our teacher is

our helper the rules of the school are made to assist us in doing our work well

TO THE TEACHER:

Papers should be exchanged, and corrections marked from your work on the Bb.

Review, pp. 419–424.

For dictation:

THE CRUISE.*

The crescent moon's a yellow boat

Upon the evening sea,
And every little star afloat

Doth bear her company.

Nightly they cruise their ocean o'er,
Until, the darkness gone,

They anchor by some silent shore
Upon the isle of dawn.

Robert Loveman

* Copyright, 1900, by Robert Loveman, and used by his permission

THIRTY-NINTH DAY

When the children came home from Sunday school, they found Uncle Jack waiting for them on the porch, so they sat down with him.

"Uncle Jack," said Belle, as soon as they were seated, "our lesson for to-day was about Jacob, his dream, and his serving seven years for Rachel. But we didn't have time to finish it. Won't you tell us about him?"

"I shall be glad to," was the reply. "The best way will be for me to read to you about him. May, please get my Bible. It's in my room.'

May went off and soon returned with it. Uncle Jack turned to chapter xxviii of Genesis and read as follows:

And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran.

And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he

« PreviousContinue »